📝 Big Match Preview: Port Vale v City

All you need to know ahead of the trip to Vale Park

28 September 2018

Exeter City return to Sky Bet League Two action on Saturday as they visit Port Vale looking to continue their good form.

Wins over Notts County, Mansfield Town and Cheltenham Town in the league have put the Grecians second in the table, but manager Matt Taylor is expecting a difficult test in Neil Aspin’s side.

The City boss said: “They’ve made a decent start and have picked up some good results recently. They seem to have found a formula to play to and to win by. You go to Port Vale on a big pitch against a good opposition who will be firing right into you, it’s always going to be tough.

“Any time I’ve experienced Port Vale as a coach or a player it’s always been a difficult place to go.”

FANS FOR DIVERSITY:

The match has been dedicated by Port Vale to promote the work of Fans for Diversity in tackling racism and discrimination in football.

On the day itself, the Port Vale supporters club will be giving away 300 bespoke t-shirts proclaiming, ‘Love Port Vale, Hate Racism’. The players will also be warming up in the t-shirts and there will be information about Fans for Diversity in the match programme and on the smartboard.

Although the message on the t-shirt is anti-racist, the campaign is much broader, and identifies the need to tackle discrimination in all its forms – whether it is based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability.

TICKET NEWS:

Online purchases are made directly through Port Vale's online ticketing system.

The club has a small amount of tickets to sell in person at the club shop/reception.

Prices in the Hamil Road Stand are as follows:

Adults: £20

Senior (62+): £15

Young Adult (18-21): £15

Juniors (12-17): £8

Under-12s: FREE

Advance Discounts? YES. All tickets increase by £2 on the day.

Ambulant Disabled supporters: Pay the age-related price with the carer going free.

Wheelchair: Dedicated mixed supporter stand, tickets booked by calling 01782 655 821

Matchday Purchase available? YES, away sales kiosk next to away stand.

Grecian Travel: Departs Unit 1 nightclub at 8.15am. Other pick up points include: Honiton Road Park & Ride (by Miller and Carter steakhouse), Cullompton Services (junction 28), Tiverton (junction 27), Taunton (junction 25), any other pick-ups en-route by prior arrangement. For availability information please contact Chris Woolcott on 01392 250250

WHEN WE LAST MET:

March 20, 2018: Port Vale 0 City 1

The Grecians last met Port Vale last season on a Tuesday evening and ran out 1-0 winners in a hard-fought contest. The home side put City under considerable pressure at times, but a resolute defensive performance, and a Jordan Storey header were enough to seal the win.

Jordan Storey netted the only goal of the game at Vale Park when the sides last met

THE STADIUM:

Address: Vale Park, Hamil Road, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs, ST6 1AW

The capacity of Vale park is 19,052 and it is an all seater stadium renowned for its expansive pitch.

In the scale of League two stadiums, Port Vale have a large one with a capacity of just over 19,000. Only MK Dons and Notts County in League Two can boast bigger stadiums.

Vale Park opened in 1950 and unlike many English stadiums of today, can be credited with saying it has never undergone a name change for sponsorship purposes. Just 10 years after opening, Port Vale enjoyed their record attendance which is still true to this day when 49,768 fans packed into the ground to watch their team play Aston Villa in 1960.

TRAVEL GUIDE:

PUBS/FOOD: The Bulls Head in Burslem town centre is a titanic brewery pub. With up to 10 real ales on the bar and 10 real ciders from the cellar at any one time as well as malt whiskies, Belgian bottled and draught beets. Also, just outside the away turnstiles is a club bar called the Vale social which allows all home and away fans in for free.

BY CAR: From Exeter the journey is just over 200 miles and takes around three and a half hours to get to Vale Park. Take the M5 to Birmingham before joining the M6 north before taking the exit for the A500. Follow the road before leaving for the A527 where you need to take the third exit at the roundabout. Shortly after you need to join the B5051 which you follow to Hamil Road where the stadium is located.

BY TRAIN: There are two train stations located which are recommended by Port Vale. Both journeys take between four and a half to five hours from Exeter St Davids. You can travel to Stoke-on-Trent’s main station, where you then have to catch a bus to Burslem town centre or travel by taxi (which should cost between £5-£10.) The journey requires at least one change at Birmingham New Street. Otherwise, you can travel to Longport via Birmingham New Street and Stoke-on-Trent to get within a 25-minute walk of Vale Park. Exit Longport station and then head onto Newcastle Street until you reach Burslem town centre with Hamil Road on the left-hand side.

AWAY GAMES GUIDE:

Click here to find out all you need to know about visiting Vale Park.

🎟 PLACE YOUR TRUST IN CITY 🎟

Season tickets for the 20/21 campaign are now on sale and play a huge part in enabling your club remains financially stable and well prepared

By purchasing a season ticket in the super saver period, you will not only make huge and the best savings on admission for the campaign, but enable the club to operate fully whilst we have a period of no matches and minimal income. Find out more by clicking here.

Match Reports

📝 Port Vale 1 City 1

Grecians have to settle for a point at Vale Park

29 September 2018

Exeter City were denied all three points at Vale Park as Idris Kanu headed home in the seventh-minute of stoppage time to deny the Grecians a hard-earned victory.

Matt Taylor’s men nudged themselves in front when Nicky Law side-footed home a well-worked goal in the 48th-minute and then they defended resolutely to keep Port Vale out heading into what, by the fourth-official, was deemed to be five minutes of injury-time.

However, with 96 minutes on the clock, the referee allowed Port Vale to take one more corner and from Tom Conlon's cross the ball dropped kindly for Kanu to nod home and give the host an unlikely point.

It was a cruel blow for City, who themselves could have wrapped the game up in the closing stages of the match when Lee Martin and Dean Moxey had close-range efforts blocked.

City went into the match having won their last four games in all competitions, while Port Vale were unbeaten in three.

It was, perhaps, then no surprise that both managers named an unchanged team from their last Sky Bet League Two fixtures.

City began the match brightly with Law playing a ball across the face of goal that Leon Legge had to hook out of the six-yard box before the hosts began to grow into the game. They had the first effort on target after 11 minutes when Ricky Miller shot tamely at Christy Pym. Miller then dragged a left-foot shot wide from just inside the box moments later.

Tom Pope also glanced a header off target after 25 minutes before City began to stamp their authority on the match once more. Hiram Boateng had a good shot from inside the box well blocked by Nathan Smith before Law fired over from 10 yards after a cross fell kindly to him.

Jake Taylor looked as though he was going to give City the lead after 35 minutes but his fiercely-struck shot, which was on course for the back of the net, deflected behind for a corner. Another chance then fell to Taylor three minutes before the break as Law fizzed a ball into him, but the Grecians midfielder sent an effort just over the upright.

However, a minute later, came the moment of the first half as Conlon unleashed a well-struck shot from 20 yards out that was heading to the top corner before Pym produced a top-class save to tip the effort onto his crossbar.

The second half was only three minutes old when City took the lead with a superb team goal. Pierce Sweeney and Taylor worked a quick free-kick well to send Lee Martin in down the left side of the box and he found Boateng in the area, who squared a ball for Law to tap home from six yards out.

Port Vale almost responded immediately but Aaron Martin got a brave header on a cross to deny Pope and then Miller followed up to fire a shot into the side netting.

Conlon then sent a free-kick wide before setting up Ben Whitfield for a chance that he blazed over. City continued to soak up the home side’s pressure well though with Dean Moxey clearing a Pope cross and Sweeney and Aaron Martin getting a number of telling headers in the area.

Then, after Conlon swung a free-kick into the box, Pym made a brave punch and got clattered by a poor challenge from Leon Legge. That created a bit of stoppage time to add on at the end of the match but, when the fourth official indicated that there would be five minutes of injury time, City went about trying to finish the game off.

First Lee Martin had a close-range effort blocked by Scott Brown and Dean Moxey followed up to race into the area and hit another effort that a home defender threw himself in front of. Those misses appeared not to matter though as the game went beyond the 95-minute mark, but the match went on into the 99th minute - four obver the minimum that was scheduled - and Port Vale managed to find the back of in that time.

Port Vale: Brown, Rawlinson, Smith, Legge, Clark, Whitfield, Conlon, Oyeleke, Hannant, Miller (Kanu, 70), Pope. Subs not used: Joyce, Kay, Hornby, Quigley, Vassell, Hardcastle

Booked: Oyeleke

Exeter City: Pym, Sweeney, A. Martin, Croll, Moxey, Boateng (Collins, 70), Tillson (Ogbene, 64), Taylor, Law, L. Martin (O’Shea, 90+1), Stockley. Subs: Hamon, Forte, Jay, Hartridge

Booked: Tillson, Moxey, Stockley

Attendance: 4,615 (350, away)

🎟 PLACE YOUR TRUST IN CITY 🎟

Season tickets for the 20/21 campaign are now on sale and play a huge part in enabling your club remains financially stable and well prepared

Ticket News

🎟 AWAY TICKETS: Port Vale (September 29)

Tickets available online and at Vale Park

28 September 2018

Tickets are still on sale for City's match against Port Vale at Vale Park on Saturday, September 29, kick-off 3pm via Port Vale's ticketing system, and at Vale Park.

Tickets are now off sale via Exeter City, but online purchases can be made directly through Port Vale's online ticketing system. Please click here to buy online. Please select Hamil Road (Away) from the drop down list.

Prices in the Hamil Road Stand are as follows:

Adults: £20
Senior (62+): £15
Young Adult (18-21): £15
Juniors (12-17): £8
Under-12s: £FREE

Advance Discounts? YES. All tickets increase by £2 on the day.

Ambulant Disabled supporters: Pay the age related price with the carer going free.

Wheelchair: Dedicated mixed supporter stand, tickets booked by calling 01782 655 821

Matchday Purchase available? YES, away sales kiosk next to away stand.

Grecian Travel: The supporters coach to Vale Park departs at 8:15am and is £30 per person. Please click here to find out more.

Exeter City FC

Standings

📝 Big Match Preview: Port Vale v City

FANS FOR DIVERSITY:

TICKET NEWS:

WHEN WE LAST MET:

Jordan Storey netted the only goal of the game at Vale Park when the sides last met

THE STADIUM:

TRAVEL GUIDE:

🎟 PLACE YOUR TRUST IN CITY 🎟

📝 Port Vale 1 City 1

🎟 PLACE YOUR TRUST IN CITY 🎟

🎟 AWAY TICKETS: Port Vale (September 29)